Baby Class Reviews

I will be rating baby classes on a 5 star (*) scale.  I will also review price, age, size, length, cleanliness, space, parking, open play toys, instructor, content, Henry’s opinion, mom’s opinion, other moms, music and activity.  Some of the classes are exclusive to Chicago, and some are national/international chains.  For a stay-at-home mom in the winter, baby classes are part of a survival guide.  A baby class introduces you to other moms with babies of the same age, and gets you out of the house.  Plus, baby gets to interact with others his age, which is great for his socialization and development.

Please find links to my reviews below:

Gymboree
Musical Magic
Bubbles Academy
YMCA Swim Class
Old Town School of Folk Wiggle Worms

Coming Soon

Little Gym
My Gym
Chicago Park District

Baby Class Reviews: Bubbles Academy -- Music for Crawlers

I will be rating baby classes on a 5 star (*) scale.  I will also review price, age, size, length, cleanliness, space, parking, open play toys, instructor, content, Henry’s opinion, mom’s opinion, other moms, music, make-ups and activity.  Some of the classes are exclusive to Chicago, and some are national/international chains.  For a stay-at-home mom in the winter, baby classes are part of a survival guide.  A baby class introduces you to other moms with babies of the same age, and gets you out of the house.  Plus, baby gets to interact with others his age, which is great for his socialization and development.   

Bubbles Academy

1504 N Fremont St

Chicago, IL 60642

(312) 944-7677

http://www.bubblesacademy.com/

*****FIVE STARS *****

Price:  Drop in:  $25 (call for reservation)  $184 for 8 week session; $230 for 10 week session (depending on holidays) – Bonus:  If you sign up for a session you can attend the open play sessions for free – otherwise it’s $10.

Age:  Crawlers

Size:  Medium/Large.  Around 15-20 moms/babies 

Length:  45 minutes

Convenience: Easy to sign-up online.  Staff is friendly and helpful. 

Cleanliness:  Very clean.  The toys are cleaned after each session, I think, but they are strewn about for songs and kids exchange toys.  Usually the toys are returned for cleaning after each song.  The open play part of the class has lots of climbing toys and balls that are shared.  There is an antibacterial station with wipes and sanitizer.  No shoes in the playroom.  (Scale: Super, Very, Kind of, Not at all)

Space:  Amazing.  The Meadow Room is a gigantic loft enclosed room.  There is green plush carpeting, murals on the walls, a sloped wall, and butterfly cutouts and lanterns that hang from the ceiling.

Parking:  Parking lot – FREE - across the street with Bubbles Academy permit.

Open Play Toys:  Lots of different toys are put out for each song, and during the open play part of the class it is wonderland of climbing stairs, rolling balls, instruments, giant drums, mirrors, see saws, etc. 

Instructor:  Kim has a peppy disposition and a cutesy singing voice.  She plays the guitar with the songs.  Henry is mesmerized by her.

Content:  Caregivers and babies sit in a circle at the beginning, but as the class moves along we walk in circles, spin around, run to the middle with baby rocket ships, bounce baby on our laps, put baby in laundry baskets and push them around the room like train cars.  We also learn some signs.  The first sign song we learned was “I like to eat apples and bananas.”  The class is actually a workout.  Wear short sleeves!  Certain songs include baby musical instruments and toys, which are returned for cleaning.  There’s also a bit of socializing with music in the background.  Kim usually walks around blowing bubbles for babies.  Most moms sing along.  After the structured music part of class, there is a short open play period.  Moms help Kim bring out large soft climbing obstacles, see saws, balls, etc.  Babies and caregivers socialize.  During the entire class babies are encouraged to crawl around and play with other babies.  Some babies crawl all over the entire room without paying attention to the class or other kids.

Henry’s Opinion:  H loves the freedom.  He can crawl all over and there are lots of kids to play with.  He also loves climbing on the open play toys, and on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, if Chris works late, we go to the free open play session from 5:30-6:30. 

Mom’s Opinion:  I love Bubbles for the huge room, the laid back atmosphere and great open play toys.  The music is great.  They put the words up via projector on the giant wall with picture. 

Other Moms:  The other moms are very friendly.  Although, the class can sometimes be quite large, it is good because you have a large group to pick from.  Generally, the moms are easy going, not germophobic, and let the kids wander around.  It’s a great free atmosphere.    

Music:  A-: Cute baby music – some songs I know, and I like that Kim plays the guitar. 

Make-ups:  Call to schedule a make-up class.  An absence is logged onto your account, and you can select any age appropriate class that week to substitute.  No limit.

Activity:  Tons of activity:  crawling, dancing, singing, playing, climbing, signing, etc.

See other Baby Class Reviews.

Sample Baby Schedules: Month by month

0-3 1/2 months -- No sleep schedule.  Henry generally woke up every 3 hours to eat, but I let him lead.

Nursing schedule (give or take an hour)

4am

7am

10am

1pm

4pm

7pm

10pm

1am

3 1/2-5 months -- Still no sleep schedule.  Before sleep training, I night weaned him – beginning with the 2am feeding, then the 11pm. 

Nursing schedule

5am

8am

11am

2pm

5pm

8pm

5-6 months -- During the start of this time period of sleep training, Henry’s schedule was in flux, but after a few weeks we settled into a great schedule.  I also started feeding solids twice a day around 5 1/2 months.

6:30am Nurse

8:30-10:30am Nap

10:30am Nurse/solids

1:30-3:30pm Nap

3:30pm Nurse/solids

6:30pm Nurse

7pm Bath

7:30pm-6:30am Night Sleep

6-7 months – around 6 months, I moved Henry’s first solid feeding earlier to mimic breakfast

6:30am Nurse

8am solids

9-11am Nap

11am Nurse

1pm solids

2-4pm Nap

4pm Nurse

6:45pm Nurse

7pm Bath

7:30pm-6:30am Night Sleep

7-9 months – around 7 months I added a 3^rd solid feeding to the day

6:30am Nurse

8am solids

9-11am Nap

11am Nurse

1pm solids

2-4pm Nap

4pm Nurse/snack solids (half of a normal meal)

6:45pm solids/Nurse

7pm Bath

7:30pm-6:30am Night Sleep

9-11 months – around 9 months, I cut back to nursing 4 times a day.  Henry started showing less interest in nursing after his afternoon nap, and I determined that he wasn’t hungry. 

6:30am Nurse

8am solids

9-11am Nap

11am Nurse

2-4pm Nap

4pm Nurse

6:45pm solids/Nurse

7pm Bath (every other night – the baths every day weren’t good for his eczema)

7:30pm-6:30am Night Sleep

11-12 months - around 11 months Henry started sleeping in more, and I started weaning him at 11 1/2 months.

7:30am Nurse
9am Breakfast solids
9:30-11:30 Nap (Nurse/Snack once weaned)

1pm Lunch
2-3:30 Nap
6:30 Dinner/Nurse
7     Bath (every other night)
7:30 Night Sleep

First word ... "Dadda"

Henry has started speaking his first word:  “Dadda!”  Around 8 months he was babbling “Dadda” and “Momma” without any meaning.  Then 2 weeks ago, he started babbling “Dadda” exclusively.  Last weekend (10 months) he said “Dadda” as he crawled towards Chris, but I wasn’t convinced he meant “Dadda.”  Then on Monday, Chris called from work, as he does every day, to check-in, and Henry cried out, “Dadda.”  Now each time I pick up the phone, Henry says, “Dadda.”  How do I know he doesn’t think the phone is called “Dadda?”  I don’t.  But I do know that every morning at 6:30 I nurse Henry, and then we head into the master bedroom to wake up Chris.  On the way into the bedroom, Henry says, “Dadda” the entire time, and looks for Chris, who is usually hiding under the covers.  The sound of his voice, high pitched with lots of inflection, is so sweet. 

Every day Henry gets more interactive.  He’s starting to copy our actions.  If Chris spits out his tongue, Henry spits his tongue back.  He waves hello and goodbye by folding his fingers down with his palms facing him (although it’s usually very delayed).  He smiles at the camera.  He reads books on his own – i.e. sits on the floor with books turning the pages independently.  He can hold half a pear (very ripe and skinned) and take bites out of it.  If I get down on the floor and crawl, he’ll chase me around the house.  After I change his diaper on the floor, he usually escapes (he has an amazingly quick first step), I let him crawl away and then I chase him.  Each time he'll take a few paces then stops and looks back at me grinning from ear to ear.  He turns the wheel on his leapfrog play table to trigger the music, cruises away while dancing (bending his knees), and when the music stops he returns to spin the wheel and start the music again.  He dives at me when I play peek-a-boo.  He gently pets dogs (he used to gouge out their eyes).  He can sit in a toy car and hold the steering wheel as I push the car.

Unfortunately, he is also learning to scream and growl when he doesn’t get what he wants.  He arches his back when he doesn’t want to sit in the stroller.  He deliberately drops food and toys on the floor when sitting in his high chair.  He opens doors and cabinets.  He pulls up on furniture and grabs at the stove knobs – we have covers now.  He also pulls up on the toilet – a no no.  I’ve resorted to putting his toys in a bunch of cabinets, so that he can explore.  I got tired of saying “no” all the time.  Baby toys and other baby safe items that aren’t toys, are exploding from every nook in our 2-bedroom apartment. 

This is a very fun time for us.  *Sigh*tear* good times.    

Baby Class Reviews: Musical Magic Boogyin Babies

I will be rating baby classes on a 5 star (*) scale.  I will also review price, age, size, length, cleanliness, space, parking, open play toys, instructor, content, Henry’s opinion, mom’s opinion, other moms, music, make-ups and activity.  Some of the classes are exclusive to Chicago, and some are national/international chains.  For a stay-at-home mom in the winter, baby classes are part of a survival guide.  A baby class introduces you to other moms with babies of the same age, and gets you out of the house.  Plus, baby gets to interact with others his age, which is great for his socialization and development.   

My first review is of Musical Magic’s Boogyin Babies class.  We went for a free trial run when Henry was already crawling. 

Musical Magic

Roscoe Village

2255 W. Roscoe Street

Chicago, IL 60618

(773) 529-5600

http://www.musicalmagic.net/index.htm

**** FOUR STARS ****

Price:  $152 for 8 week session; $133 for 7 week session; $114 for 6 week session (depending on holidays)

Age:  0-12 months

Size:  Medium.  Around 10-15 moms/babies

Length:  45 minutes

Convenience: I often got the answering machine.  Cash or check only.  But she is flexible regarding when payment is made before the session begins.

Cleanliness:  Super clean – toys are heavily regulated, and each time an activity is finished soiled toys are placed in a bag to be washed.  No shoes in the playroom.  (Scale: Super, Very, Kind of, Not at all)

Space:  Pretty and small carpeted square room, colorful, but minimalist.

Parking:  Street parking is easy to find.

Open Play Toys:  Very few – just a few bean bags in the corner.  All toys are regulated for cleanliness.

Instructor:  Rosanne has a warm disposition and a beautiful singing voice.  Henry loved her – he stared at her like a deer in headlights for half of the class.

Content:  Caregivers and babies sit in a circle.  Rosanne has background synthesizer music for songs, and sings herself.  Some moms sing along.  Each song includes different toys: musical instruments; puppets; scarves.  At the end of each song the toys are placed into the dirty or clean bag.  There was also a parachute.  We walked around in a circle around the babies under the parachute – some started to cry due to separation anxiety.  Henry just watched as I went around and finally started laughing and crawling towards me. 

Henry’s Opinion:  H loved the music and interacting with the other kids.  It was our first baby class ever, and I realized he is a very social little person – I wonder where he gets it!

Mom’s Opinion:  I love Musical Magic for its style and music.  I think we might sign up for next session.  I did not sign up for the fall session, however, because I felt that Henry needed more activity.  Sitting in a circle wasn’t good enough for him.  He wanted to crawl and inspect the room, but there wasn’t enough in the room for him to inspect.

Other Moms:  The other moms were generally friendly and somewhat reserved.  I’m actually surprised at how friendly they were considering we tested the class at the end of the session and they had already known each other for 7 weeks.  The situation reminds me of some of the partners at my old firm.  Why bother getting to know young associates when the associates would probably be leaving after a couple years.  It takes a lot of energy to meet new moms – it’s like dating.  

Music:  A+ -- very cute baby music – most songs I didn’t know, and Rosanne has a lovely voice.  The synthesizer is a little cheesy.

Make-ups:  Make-up classes allowed in classes with availability.  Make-up class must be taken within scheduled session.  No rollover.  No limit.

Activity:  Some activity: playing with instrument toys, puppets and parachute.

See other Baby Class Reviews.

Mommy Skincare Regimen

Since having Henry, I’ve noticed that my skin is looking old and wrinkled.  I’m sure it’s due to a combination of 3 things:  stretching from weight gain and weight loss; the many walks we took outside this summer – opposed to my past summers spent in the office; and dehydration from breast feeding.  Since high school, I’ve had the same skincare regimen.  Despite being surrounded by women who are obsessed with keeping their skin looking young, I never gave it much attention.  I used a gentle skin cleanser and spf 15 moisturizer twice a day.  I’ve tried eye creams, masks and other products, but could never keep to a routine.  Now that the sun damage is taking effect I’ve finally decided to be proactive about my skin. 

My new routine is low maintenance to ensure that I can maintain it.  In the AM I wash with a gentle cleanser and smooth on spf 15 moisturizer.  In the PM I wash with a gentle cleanser, smooth on Regenerist Regenerating Serum, then I put on Regenerist Night Recovery Cream, on top of that I dab Olay Regenerist Filling and Sealing Wrinkle Treatment on my problem areas.  Apparently, your skin repairs itself at night, and putting on a heavy moisturizer aids in the process.  Once a week I use a mask (5-10 minutes) and exfoliate every other day in the shower with St. Ives apricot scrub.  St. Ives makes a milder apricot scrub now that is gentler on your skin.

Let’s hope this works.  Let me know if you have any tips!  I may feel old now that I have a baby, but I don’t want to look old!

Allergies: Egg and Dairy

Despite being exclusively breastfed for 10 months and counting, Henry is allergic to eggs and dairy.  The first question people usually ask is “how do you even know that he is allergic to eggs?”  Eggs, eggs whites in particular, are highly allergenic, and most pediatricians recommend waiting to introduce them until 6 months to a year.  When Henry was 3 months old – before he started solids – we were visiting my mother.  One of her secrets to her youthful skin is to make a mask out of egg whites.  When the whites dry it results in a tightening effect.  One morning holding Henry, Chris mocked us as we applied our egg white masks.  I suggested he try an egg white mask to smooth away his wrinkles.  He abruptly refused my suggestion and continued to make sarcastic comments about salmonella and bird flu.  Suddenly I lunged at his face with a droplet of egg white on my finger.  Unfortunately, gravity was faster than my baby weight body.  I watched in slow motion as the egg white droplet fell onto Henry’s face.  We laughed and wiped the goo from his cheek.  A few minutes later I noticed Henry had red and white splotches all over his face and arms.  It was hives.  I was terrified.  An allergy to egg whites from just touching his skin?!  My stepfather is a doctor, and he assured me that the hives would pass in an hour or so and he was right.  Henry’s pediatrician recommended we keep Benadryl on hand at all times in the event Henry has another reaction.  We haven’t tried eggs since, and Henry was unable to get the flu shot due to his egg allergy.  Apparently the virus is grown in eggs, which is why children with egg allergies will have a reaction.  Both the mist and the shot are egg allergenic.  Be sure to read the waivers for your baby before he/she gets shots! 

At five months, Henry’s pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to try yogurt and cheese.  I tried the Yo-Baby brand yogurt by Stonyfields – I’ve since learned that Yo Baby has a lot of additives that plain yogurt doesn’t have.  Henry gobbled up the yogurt in two seconds, but ten minutes later broke out in a rash, not hives.  The nurse suggested we stay away from dairy until after his first birthday.  Ugh.  Around 9 months his pediatrician suggested we either have an allergy test (blood draw), or try slowly reintroducing dairy to Henry’s diet.  I try to avoid pricking Henry as much as possible, he had enough of that after his birth.  I first introduced nonfat yogurt.  I bought the nonfat yogurt on accident, and was thrilled to find no reaction.  I didn’t notice any reaction with shredded whole milk cheese.  But when I tried whole milk yogurt, as recommended, he showed a rash.  Some people have suggested that Henry might just have very sensitive skin.  He has eczema, and we bathe him every other day to prevent over-drying.  I’ve stopped giving him dairy, and it seems that his eczema has slightly improved.  Instead of dairy, I give Henry soy products.  He loves Tofu (silken - it's smoother and doesn't make him choke) and I mix soy milk into his oatmeal in the morning.  Luckily, he can still drink my breast milk when I eat dairy. 

Allergies are a pain.  There are some milk allergies in our family, and I’m lactose intolerant.  The intolerance disappeared when I was pregnant, but unfortunately returned a few months after the delivery.  We don’t have any history of egg allergies.  I’m hoping Henry will outgrow both soon.  In the meantime, I’ll refrain from lunging at Chris with peanut butter, egg whites, milk and anything else that might irritate Henry’s delicate skin.        

Below are a couple informational links on egg and dairy allergies:
http://babyparenting.about.com/od/startingsolids/f/startingeggs.htm
http://foodallergies.about.com/od/dairy/p/dairyallergies.htm